A shawabti is a small figurine of a servant. They were generally buried with a deceased ruler (often in large numbers) to serve him in the afterlife. It was expected that the Shawabti would spring to life in the underworld and serve the Pharaoh for eternity. Most Shawabtis were made of wood beginning in the Middle Kingdom (earlier Shawabtis had been made of stone).

The Book of Gates was written during the New Kingdom period of ancient Egyptian history. It is one of the many surviving funerary texts from this time period. It describes the passage of an individual through the various “gates” of the afterlife. The book suggests that at each “gate” an individual must pay respect to a certain God before being allowed to continue. It also suggests that some individuals will fail to pay proper respect and will be condemned to eternal torment.

The second Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, Sneferu's son Khufu, built the Great Pyramid of Giza as his tomb. The Fourth Dynasty featured the prolific building of pyramids and other grand monuments, as Sneferu was responsible for the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, both at Dahshur. The Giza Sphinx is traditionally believed to have been built by Khafra, though some alternatively hold that it was constructed by his brother Djedefra (while there are also separate pyramids for both pharaohs), and Shepseskaf's tomb is the Mastabat al-Fir'aun at Saqqara.

At least as early as the rule of the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (and possibly much earlier), much of Egypt was divided into Nomes or “districts, provinces.” These Nomes were administered by Nomarchs or “governors.”

Anubis was the god associated with death, mummification, and the afterlife, and he was originally depicted as the lord of the underworld; however, he was eventually replaced by Osiris, who is often called the god of death and the afterlife, but is more accurately described as the god of transition, regeneration, and resurrection. (These themes are very importantly featured in the myths about Osiris.) Since the ancient Egyptians viewed death as a transition rather than an ending, Osiris was particularly suited to fulfilling that role.

Artaxerxes III was a ruler of the Persian Empire during the fourth century BCE. When he came to power, Egypt had recently rebelled against the Persian Empire and was trying to re-establish itself as a strong, independent kingdom. Artaxerxes III led a successful Persian reconquest of Egypt and established himself as the first Pharaoh of the 31st Dynasty.

Many historians consider Imhotep to be the “father” of Ancient Egyptian medicine. Imhotep possessed a wide array of talents; he excelled at dozens of complex subjects and skills, including architecture, medical care, poetry, astronomy, writing, and religious knowledge. He first rose to prominence during the Old Kingdom, in the midst of the reign of the Pharaoh Djoser, who employed him as both his court’s Chief Physician and Chief Architect. He is credited with designing two pyramids: the Step Pyramid Complex at Saqqara and the Pyramid of Sekhemkhet. His medical talents were so widely renowned through Egypt that dozens of temples and monuments scattered around the nation bear inscriptions praising his treatments and acts of healing. Although definite proof no longer exists, many historians believe that Imhotep also founded the famous Memphis medical school and/or authored the Edwin Smith Papyrus, a medical scroll detailing how to diagnose and treat many ailments.

Hapi was the god of the annual flooding of the Nile, which was itself called the arrival of Hapi. Hapi was also a deity associated with birds and fish. Aker was the god of the earth and the horizon, and Anhur was the god of war and hunting.

Throughout ancient Egyptian history, Egyptian people wore amulets that were dedicated to various Gods so that those Gods might offer them protection and good fortune. The Egyptians believed that these amulets were important both on Earth and in the afterlife, and so tended to bury rulers with amulets designed to ensure the favor of the Gods and to ward off evil spirits.

Ptah is the God of creation in the tradition of Memphis. He is also the God of craftsmen. This relates to how the Memphians understood cosmology. Unlike the rest of the ancient Egyptians, the Memphians believed that Ptah acted as a sort of intermediary. It was Ptah who carried out the wishes and constructions ordained by the Gods.